Catholic members of the LGBTIQ community in Malta have much to be proud of. One has only to review the work being done by NGOs like Drachma, highlighting the experiences of parents and their LGBTIQ children within the Church, and the various affirmative statements released by Malta’s bishops.
Gradually and not without controversy, the Catholic Church in Malta has begun to reflect a larger transformation occurring in society at large. Legislation and policy currently affirm the dignity of sexual and gender minorities, ensuring that civil protections are in place and, by and large, effectively enforced. Which is why the irresponsible voices of dogmatists and reactionaries are cause for considerable concern, threatening the hard-won progress being made by Catholics committed to an inclusive and respectful vision of their Church.
The acknowledgement and basic respect towards the rights of gay people has not weakened social fabric, as fear-mongers claim. Nor is conservatism the default position within the Catholic Church, something Pope Francis has steered away from.
In his widely-publicised documentary, Pope Francis roundly rejects reductive assertions by saying: “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family… They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it.”
In line with his pastoral trajectory, the Pope’s comments have put the focus firmly on the personhood of gay and lesbian individuals. Such an attitude contrasts with those who would reduce people to ‘walking sex acts’ and then go so far as to claim that the natural expression of an innate sexual orientation is intrinsically ‘sinful’.
Presumably, this must include Catholic priests and believers, groups that contain individuals who have been forced to internalise a homophobic rhetoric that has led many to depression, anxiety and even attempted or completed suicide.
Still others, under the burden of this internalised homophobia, spill their vitriol outwards and attack the very thing they have been made to suppress.
There is no doubt that the Catholic Church’s approach to homosexuality is still rife with contradictions. While Archbishop Charles Scicluna has repeatedly sought to build a bridge between the Church and the gay community, we keep hearing of ultra-conservative priests and extremist (and dangerous) groups like River of Love using their pulpits to spread hate among the gay community.
The Pope’s latest comments are a much-needed attempt to revive a difficult conversation about homosexuality within the Catholic Church
This is why the Pope’s latest comments are a much-needed attempt to revive a difficult conversation about homosexuality within the Catholic Church.
While the Pope wants the law to protect gay people who he sees as equals to everyone, others within his Church consider them as practising something contrary to natural law and should, therefore, not be protected.
They include Fr Patrick Pullicino, who in a contentious opinion piece on Times of Malta, claimed that “homosexual acts are not only harmful to the individuals who engage in them but also to society at large”.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when that sort of statement could pass without comment or censure. That time has, thankfully, passed.
Despite the fundamental opposition of dogmatists and conservative leaders, the Pope’s commitment to a process of clarification makes it clear that acceptance and inclusion, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, are not so much an affirmation of Catholic belief as a shared invitation that transcends denominational affiliation.
It takes courage to admit that errors have been made and atrocities committed in the name of religion. However, such admissions are the first step towards the kind of healing that has never been more necessary.